The captain of a Trident nuclear submarine has been stripped of his command over claims that he had an affair with a female junior officer.
Senior commanders were sent to the vessel in international waters after allegations emerged of an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with the woman, it was reported.
Stuart Armstrong, commanding officer of the Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vigilant, has been relieved of duties while he is under investigation.
Stuart Armstrong (pictured) has been suspended from his post after an alleged affair with a female junior officer
A senior Ministry of Defence source said the allegations were a ‘duty of care’ issue.
But an MoD spokesman would not confirm the alleged relationship between the captain and a female officer, adding: ‘An investigation is under way. It would be inappropriate to say anything further.’
All Royal Navy vessels have a ‘no-touching rule’ banning intimate relationships.
However, the Navy is particularly strict about relationships that could affect the chain of command.
It is understood that the female officer has not been suspended, and there is no suggestion she has done anything wrong. Asked to comment, Captain Armstrong told the Daily Mirror: ‘I’ve not got anything to say at the moment.’
He lives in Rhu, near Helensburgh in Scotland, and is a ‘keen kayaker, runner and hill walker’, according to his profile on the Royal Navy website. He was commander of the nuclear sub HMS Artful from December 2015 until this February, when he took command of HMS Vigilant, which has a crew of 135, including 14 officers.
It was reported that other crew members on the sub were told to delete social media accounts to stop news of the allegations being leaked.
Armstrong served as the commanding officer of the Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vigilant (pictured)
As a captain of a vessel carrying Trident missiles, Captain Armstrong will have access to a safe containing the Prime Minister’s ‘letter of last resort’, which gives instructions on how to respond if Britain comes under nuclear attack.
The affair allegations come after the Navy’s first female warship captain, Sarah West, was released from her command of the frigate HMS Portland over an affair with a married officer in 2014 – claims both denied.
Women were banned from serving on submarines until 2011. But in 2014, three female lieutenants became the first in the fleet’s 113-year history.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: ‘We can confirm an investigation is under way, but it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
‘Any allegations of wrongdoing are taken very seriously and will be dealt with appropriately.’
HMS Vigilant, one of four subs armed with Trident missiles, is based at HMNB Clyde in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
The Royal Navy said the investigation had no impact on current operations.
In January, the MoD revealed that in one year, 57 serving submarine crew members faced charges of disobeying orders, and assault, drink, drug and sex offences while on Trident vessels. Among them was a senior officer accused of ‘other sexual offences not specified’.